No worries! The Sinnoh Journey!
by Pokemaniac-Hermes
Summary: Dani Fiama and Anna Hallisson are two normal, school attending teenagers until they are offered jobs working for Professor Rowan in Sinnoh. Now they must catch Pokemon, battle and learn that the real world is very different to what they were told in class
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One.**

'Oh, ew.'

'Oh, relax.'

'Again, I say ew.'

I reached into the bucket, fishing out a handful of mealworms. 'Look, they're totally harmless.'

Dani scooted away from me until she ran out of bench. 'They're _foul_, Anna. I cannot believe you brought them to school.'

I tipped the mealworms gently back into the bucket, where their comrades wriggled around in a few inches of oatmeal. 'We're learning new attacks today. I figured it would give Cadogan a little incentive.'

'I doubt it. You'll give him treats for everything. You're putty in his claws.' Dani grinned, getting to her feet and brushing off the back of her skirt as the class door opened.

'Just you two this morning?' Mr Redwood asked, kicking in the door stopper. He was a fairly average-looking man, like somebody's dad. He always wore sweaters and dark slacks, and had dark grey hair that was thinning a little at the top. Behind his unremarkable appearance however, Eugene Redwood was one of the most brilliant minds of his generation. People came from all over to hear one of his lectures, even if the Pokémon classes he taught at school didn't prompt such great turnouts.

'I think so. There's a footy game down on the oval.' I gestured behind me lamely. Very few people took Pokémon classes, and sometimes I thought I was the only one who really cared about it. A lot of the kids my age seemed to think it was a dummy class, something to beef up your grades without doing much work. A lot of them ended up with their marks dragged down because of it. We had to learn about training, structure, behaviour, abilities, nutrition, types, habitats, battles, evolution, gathering food, first aid and camping. This class was no walk in the park.

But Dani and I loved it. We worked hard, learnt a lot and our marks showed it. We were hands-down best in our class. Not to brag or anything.

I set my bag and tub of mealworms on the desk, fishing a Pokéball from my skirt pocket and tapped it on the desk. It clicked open, revealing a small burst of red light which took form as a Pidgey. He ruffled his feathers indignantly, before hopping over to check out the tub of mealworms.

Dani brushed down her skirt again before sitting down, pulling at the small, entirely blood red Pokéball that was clipped to a chain around her neck. She enlarged it to full size and tapped it on the desk as well. A podgy Magby materialised on the desk, she too taking an immediate interest in the tub of mealworms.

'Ah! Ah! Ah!' I quickly pulled the tub away, disgruntling Cadogan who seemed to be planning to climb in. 'She can have some, but I'm not sure how flammable oatmeal is.' I said, holding the container above me. Sorrel, Danis Magby, wiped the embers from her nose and looked disgruntled.

I fished out a small handful of mealworms and oatmeal and placed it on Danis desk. It was the desk she always sat at, you could tell from the scorch marks there were every few inches. Sorrel waddled the few inches necessary to get to the mealworms, fish them out and toss them into her mouth.

I glanced over at Dani. She was a little taller than me; slim, with long black hair, olive skin and dark eyes. Most of her family lived on Cinnabar Island, where her great-uncle owned the gym. She came to school here in Pewter City because of Mr Redwood, but she never mentioned the obscure fame of her family. I didn't even know about it until I had known her for a year, and the volcano had erupted on Cinnabar. She had left for a few months, helping rebuild the gym and the town on the Seafoam islands nearby.

She has a passion for fire Pokémon, and had owned her Magby since she was thirteen. She had even spoken about maybe working in the gym when she was a bit older.

I reached in for another handful of worms, and spread them over my desk. The mealworms writhed and tried to get away as Cadogan hopped all over the desk, pecking at them. I stroked Cadogan when he stopped momentarily to get at a few that had managed to tangle themselves up together.

'I'm actually glad both of you are here.' Mr Redwood said, shifting the chairs in front of us to take a seat on the desk. 'There's something I needed to discuss with you.'

I looked up but didn't say anything; my fingers still buried in Cadogans feathers.

'An associate of mine, Professor Rowan,' He had stop for a moment as Dani gave a small squeal and clapped a hand over her mouth. 'Is studying in the Sinnoh region. He told me he's looking for trainers to travel and gather Pokémon for his research, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in volunteering.'

He looked at us expectantly. There was only a split second pause before Dani burst out; 'Yes, yes, of course, yes!' She squealed. 'You're serious? He wants us to come and work for him?'

'But we haven't studied Sinnoh yet.' I muttered finally, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on Cadogan, who was trying to get into the bucket again. 'We don't start 'til next term.'

'You wouldn't need to study it. You can do it first hand.' Mr Redwood went on. He explained that we would be entrusted with capturing Pokémon from around the region; training up others and helping them evolve so they too could be studied. We would be bona-fide Pokémon trainers, and be allowed to fight Gym Leaders or participate in Pokémon contests if we wanted to, provided we kept capturing and raising Pokémon for Professor Rowan. He was forced to stop as the siren went, and the rest of the class trickled in.

'How cool is this?' Dani hissed at me as Mr Redwood started a lecture on teaching Pokémon moves not associated with their type. 'No one in my family has ever been to Sinnoh! It's going to be all uncharted territory! This is _so cool._'

I didn't respond. I just felt numb.

---

'_It's your decision, dude.'_

'Yeah, I know. Kinda wish it wasn't.'

The woman on the screen hesitated. She was several years older than me, with shoulder length brown hair, pale skin and big blue eyes. She was my sister, and we resembled each other a bit, only my hair was a lighter brown, and I was slightly shorter with quite a bit more weight on me.

'_Well, do you think you want to?'_ Olga asked, leaning back in her chair and toying with a strip of paper near the phone.

'See, I'm not sure. Never really thought about it, I guess.' I shrugged. I was sitting in the small storage room where we kept our video-phone and other assorted crap we couldn't find a home for. I was still in my school uniform, a blue polo shirt and plaid skirt in assorted shades of blue.

'_It's a good career if you're really committed to it. You can do loads of jobs if you train for a while.'_ She explained. She herself had conquered the Kanto and Johto leagues, eventually being offered a job in the Turquoise gym of the Jewel League, which she had become leader of last year.

I nodded. 'I mean, I never really thought about it as a job in itself, more as sort of an idle fantasy. But I haven't really considered anything else either.' I admitted. I was seventeen, and we were having career options crammed down our throats at school but none of it had really appealed to me.

'_Think about it though. You do really have a passion for Pokémon, and it's a lot better you follow something you're interested in.' _Olga shrugged._ 'Again, it's your choice. Maybe you could go for a few months, and if it doesn't appeal to you, you can go back and pick up where you left off.'_

'I guess so. But dropping school and stuff, it's kind of a big deal, isn't it?'

'_Yeah, it is. But it's totally worth it. I can't imagine what I would've done if I hadn't gone.'_

'Hm.'

'_Anyway, just think it over. I'll donate some really cool Pokémon if you do go.' _Olga grinned.

'Cheers mate. You coming to visit soon?'

'_Maybe next month. I've got a bit of stuff going on here.'_ She gestured vaguely behind her._ 'Call me when you make a decision.'_

'Alright. See ya.'

'_Bye.'_

I pressed the 'End Call' button and got to my feet. I went outside, where Cadogan was pecking at the grass with a couple of wild Pidgey. He was considerably larger than the others, with darker, sleeker feathers. It was easy to tell them apart.

The wild Pidgey scarpered as I came close. Cadogan glanced up, gave a tweet of greeting and resumed pecking in the grass. I sat down on an old, fallen tree to watch him. I had played on this log when I was younger, imagining I was some sort of hero, or animal, and every now and then a Pokémon trainer. I would imagine epic battles like the ones you saw on TV when they televised the tournaments. I would have Pokémon no one else would have. I would fight and battle the best of them with my Pokémon, who I of course had a magnificent bond with.

But I grew up. I could name ten people off the top of my head who had gone off to be Pokémon trainers, only to come home a failure. It was difficult, I knew that much. Lots of Pokémon would be difficult to train, if they were caught at all. Movies and stories about the lifestyle were glamorised, with Pokémon evolving at every turn and bonding with their trainers at the drop of a hat. A friend of Dads had permanent brain damage after he pushed his supposedly loyal Hitmonlee to the edge and it went berserk. And that wasn't even mentioning the stories you heard in the news. People being attacked, beaten, eaten or vanishing off the face of the earth. It wasn't a decision you made without thinking it through.

Then again, I loved Pokémon. They fascinated me. The biology, the attacks, the behaviour, the adaptations and the evolutions. Nothing gripped me the way studying Pokémon did. And could I really pass up this opportunity to do something I liked passion for? What if I didn't go and regretted it forever? I momentarily imagined seeing Dani on the teev as the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time while I curled up in my stingy apartment and ate my microwave dinner.

And if I failed, perhaps I could be a Pokémon researcher, or a teacher Like Mr Redwood. That wouldn't be so bad. I'd still get to do something that I loved, and I would have experience in the field.

But then I thought of the trainers who were damaged, disabled, dead or never to be seen again. Was it really worth all that risk?

My train of thought was interrupted by Dads beat up white Toyota pulling into the driveway. I slid off the log to go greet him. Cadogan flew up from the dirt to land on my shoulder.

'Hey.' I waved as he climbed out of the car.

My Dad was a pleasant man. He had much darker skin than most people in my family, a solid brown workers tan to show for years of outdoor jobs. His skin was crinkled around bright blue eyes, and his hair was white around the edges with a few spots of grey left to show for his once dark hair.

'Hey kiddo. How was school?' He asked, heading to the front door.

I kept up step behind him. ''S'okay.' I hesitated as we went inside and headed for the kitchen. He dropped his green bag onto the TV room table.

'Just okay?' He asked, grabbing the Tupperware and mug out of the bag.

I hoisted myself onto the chopping block to sit. 'Sort of.'

'Sort of? Something on your mind?' Dad asked, putting his stuff into the dish washer.

'I might be going to Sinnoh.' I offered, finally.

'What, for your gap year?' He guessed. 'And turn the kettle on for me.'

I reached over to flick the switch. Cadogan was forced to move lest he smack his head on a cabinet. He went and perched on the kitchen sink. 'No. Redwood said a friend of is needed trainers to help him out over there, and he recommended me.'

'You think your going to take it? Tea?'

'Not sure, and no thanks.' I shook my head and swung my legs back and forth, staring at my knees.

'What would you being doing over there?'

'Training, capturing Pokémon for this guy to study. Maybe fight gyms and stuff. Like Olga did.' I wasn't sure how much I felt like discussing it. 'I called Olga.'

The kettle flicked off. Dad poured hot water into his cup and leaned against the counter. 'What did she say?'

'She said she'd give me a Pokémon if I wanted it, said it was my decision to make.' I shrugged. 'Oh, and she's doing really well. She's thinking about breeding Morris.'

'Oh, good. Maybe we should get one of the Eevees from her, keep it around the house.'

From that, the conversation switched to Pokémon breeding, but the idea of going to Sinnoh still loitered in the back of my mind.

---

The topic came up again at dinner, while we ate roast and watched the latest sob story that had clambered up from the dirt to be on television. I believe this time it was about men who wanted eleven children but their big bad wives wouldn't let them.

The idea was sounding more attractive the more I thought about it. Olga had gotten through it alive, hadn't she? She wasn't _that_ much smarter than I was. And she was right; there were _loads_ of jobs offered to former trainers, possibly more for me considering I had nearly finished high school. Lots of trainers left when they were barely into their teens! How hard could it be?

'It's pretty dangerous.' Mum warned. I was told we looked alike, but I didn't believe it much. My mother was a striking woman, with a dark brown bob, dark blue eyes and freckles all over her pale cheeks. 'Will anyone be with you?'

I paused to finish chewing. 'Dani was offered it as well. We'll probably stick together.'

'And what Pokémon are you going to take?' She went on. 'Your father and I could probably get you a new one; we got a Charmander for Olga…'

'It's fine.' I said immediately, trying to head off the barrage of offers of worried help before they started. 'I've got Cadogan, and Olga said she'd give me something neat if I decide to go.'

Mum made a face. 'Well, Cadogan isn't exactly very strong, is he?'

I glanced at Dad. He took a sip of his beer and kept his face expressionless, focused on the TV. 'He's plenty strong. I reckon a few battles and he'll be well on his way to a Pidgeotto.'

'We can buy you one. Something nice, and elemental. Like a Chikorita!' Mum offered. 'One of the girls in my class has one; she brought it in for pet day.'

I leaned back in my chair. My Mum was a teacher, and frequently regaled us with stories of the snotty little brats she taught every day. Though, admittedly, she didn't use the term 'snotty little brats.'

'I'm sure it'll be fine Mum.' I insisted.

'Yes, well,' She agreed, in a voice that suggested she didn't agree at all. 'I might phone Olga, make sure she doesn't get you anything silly.'

She got off the couch, placed her plate on the sink and headed for the video phone room. Dad finally looked away from the TV.

'She means well.' He said, grinning slightly.

'I know she does.' I shrugged. 'Just wish she wouldn't worry so much.'

Dad took the last bite of his potato. 'You're growing up, there's not much else she can do.'

---

By morning, I had made my decision. It was a weekend, and fell on one of Dads days off, so they were both in the kitchen making fried eggs.

'I've decided.' I said, wandering in dressed in my oh-so-fashionable white satin pants and green tank top. 'I'm going to go.'

'Good on ya, kiddo.' Dad said, turning away from the fry pan to give me a hug. 'I figured you would.'

Mum went over to the pantry, shifting aside a few boxes and jars to pull out what looked like a mutated rubber ball. 'Olga sent this over last night on the teleporter. Are you sure this is what you want?'

I took it from her. It was oval shaped, completely smooth and coloured a dull grey, though it seemed to have a pale blue sheen when held a certain way. Attached to it was a folded up square of blue paper. I put the object down and pulled the letter free to read it.

_Dearest Anna. _

_Congratulations on your choice! I think you made the right decision, unless Mum gave you this anyway, which I hope she didn't. Training is hard, but I've seen enough trainers to know that I think you have what it takes. A friend gave me this egg. Keep it warm, keep it safe, and I think you'll be surprised when it hatches! You can call me for help any time. I love you lots and always will._

_Love, Olga._

I smiled and picked up the egg again. 'Did she tell you what it was?' I asked Mum.

She shook her head. 'Nope. She said she wanted to surprise you.'

'Oh.' I paused. 'Cool.'

---

_A/N: And so ends chapter one. I originally started this story as something to burn my free time, but for my personal reading only. I've already written several chapters at this point, and retro-conning would be awkward. Reviews or comments would be appreciated, I haven't been writing fiction for quite some time and know I have room to improve._

_Also, I've never posted to before, so please let me know if I'm doing anything and would be advised to err on the side of caution. I'd also like to know if it would be worth including small dictionaries at the beginning or end of chapters to explain certain slang or phrases that I believe are only used in Australia._

_Thankyou for your __time and I hope you enjoyed my writing._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

The next few days were hectic. We had to book flights, get gear, get my passport, organise leaving the school. The rushing only stopped when I was sitting at the Pewter City air field, my bag on the chair beside me and the egg in my lap.

Mum and Dad had both been working, so they couldn't come see me off. We had dinner at a nice restaurant the night before, so it didn't worry me too much. I was mostly nervous about what was going to happen when we landed.

The waiting area had various plastic tables, surrounded by plastic chairs. A small shop was at one end of the room, staffed by a bored looking boy flicking through a sleazy magazine. One wall was made up entirely of glass, so they that people could see the airfield. Another was largely taken up by a one way mirror that led into the passport area.

I glanced at my reflection and self consciously pulled at my ponytail. My hair was faded brown with blonde streaks, and I wore a grey spotted hoodie, dark jeans and hiking boots. Though I knew I had gone the right way in only bringing practical clothes, I still felt quite frumpy.

'Hey!' Dani called as she came through the passport office. She gathered her stuff off the X-ray belt and came over. If I wasn't feeling frumpy before, I definitely was now. She wore oversized sunglasses studded with diamantes, a very expensive red jumper and blue jeans with pink stripes. Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a plait and I could see she had tinted lip gloss on. She looked more like a tourist than anything. She dumped her black back pack up on the table, yanked out a chair and collapsed in it. Her tanned face was slightly pink in the cheeks.

'Am I late?' She asked, gesturing to my watch.

'Nope.' I shook my head, keeping my arms firmly around my egg. 'Plane to Sandgem doesn't leave for a little while yet.'

'Oh, cool.' She went silent for a moment. 'Still hasn't hatched then?'

'Nah. I'm a bit worried.' I held the egg up to the light, making it glint blue. 'What if I killed it?'

Dani reached over and took the egg from me. She held it to her ear. 'I think I can hear something moving. Has Olga told you what it is yet?'

I shook my head again as I took the egg back. 'Not a peep. I've been looking into it though. I think it's a normal type, maybe a Zangoose, from the colouring.' I didn't admit that was what I was hoping for. I had always adored Zangooses, and Olga knew that.

'That would be cool. Then I could get a Seviper and we could duel them to the death!' Dani grinned.

We continued our banter until our plane came. It was a Boeing 737, only meant for about 100 people or so. Not exactly essential knowledge, but I felt better for knowing things.

After a short argument with the staff about whether or not my egg could be brought into the seating area rather than padded and shoved in the cargo hold, we were on the plane. It was undersold, so Dani and I had a seat between is in which to shove our stuff and play cards.

'Have you…got any…sevens?' Dani asked finally, leaning heavily on her arm rest.

I was leaning against mine too, with my egg wrapped in my jumper between us and covered in small heating pads, the cool non-electrical ones you get from weird Korean shops. 'Go fish. You got any fours?'

She shook her head. 'No. You think they're serving food soon? I'm starved.'

'Did you skip breakfast?'

'Yes.'

'Lame-o. I've got gummies in my bag.' I gestured to my backpack on the floor between us.

'Got any queens?' She asked before she leaned over to open my bag and begin to rifle through it. As she did, there was a loud crack.

Dani cursed and threw herself back in her chair. My egg now had a large crack in the top where she leaned over it. She clapped her hands to her mouth. 'Oh crap. Oh no, Anna, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…'

She went silent as another long crack snaked itself along the side. The egg was moving as more cracks began to appear. A large chunk of shell fell off, revealing a single red eye.

'Oooh, crap.' I muttered, moving my jumper around so the cracks were hidden from view. I yanked my backpack onto the seat so anyone passing through the aisle couldn't see my egg

More and more bits of shell fell away, revealing a…well; I didn't know what it was. It was small, probably barely up to my knee standing upright. It had long legs for its body, with backward knees like a quadruped, yet it was sitting upright. Its body was black and blue, with a long blue tail. Its head seemed oversized, with black colouring around its eyes, almost looking like a mask. It had long black growths on either side of its head, which I would have thought were ears if it didn't have tiny blue ears on the top of its head.

It looked up at me with shiny red eyes, and gave a small chirping sound.

'What is it?' Dani whispered. It swivelled around to look at her.

'Don't know. We'll find out later.' I pulled my jumper away and tugged it on as fast as I could. It still felt warm from the heating pads. I picked up the Pokémon by the scruff of the neck and pushed it underneath my jumper gently as possible. It allowed itself to be lifted, much like a rag doll.

'Anna, what the hell are you doing?!' Dani hissed.

'Protecting it.' I whispered back, zipping my jumper up a little more. The Pokémon was still sticky and warm from the inside of the egg, which began to soak through my shirt. It shuffled about a bit, confused. I grabbed a hold of one of the vomit bags and began shovelling bits of eggshell into it. Dani caught on soon enough and did the same.

'They'll put it somewhere else if I don't hide it. The flight's only for a few more hours.' I told her, stuffing the now full bag into the seat pocket.

'Sure he'll be okay in there?' Dani asked, raising an eyebrow as a damp patch appeared on my shirt where – hopefully – the dampness from the egg was soaking through.

'I hope so.' I grabbed one of the blankets and pulled it over me and up to my chin. I took a peek down the front of my jumper. The Pokémon had stopped moving, and had laid itself down on my torso. 'You okay there little guy?'

It looked up, gave a small chirp and cuddled into my stomach.

'I think I like him.' I told Dani.

---

The rest of the flight was uneventful. My tiny Pokémon slept for most of it, waking up momentarily when I slipped some of my food down the front of my jumper for it to eat. My shirt was going to be such a mess when I let it out of there.

'I think I'm going to call him Xavier.' I whispered to Dani over the clunks and mutters over people getting their baggage sorted so they could leave the plane.

'How do you know it's a boy?' She hissed back, narrowly avoiding getting her head smashed in by a rogue laptop bag.

I shrugged. 'If it's not, I can change the spelling a little. Make it a girl's name.' I grinned and gave it a little pat through my jumper. 'Not like he or she is going to really give a damn.' I paused to pull at the neck of my jumper a little to take a look at him or her. It was still snuggled into my chest, but looked up with its bright eyes.

'Okay.' I gave it a little squeeze with one arm. 'Hold tight, little one.' I grabbed my backpack and got to my feet. I felt little claws grab a hold of my shirt and some skin, making me wince.

We made our way down the narrow aisle, down the steps and into the Arrivals area. Finally, I could cup my arm under my new found Pokémon and it could release its grip.

'Hey.' Dani gave a quick pull at my arm pointing at a boy our age, holding a large sign that said "_Danielle Fiama, Anna Hallisson."_

'Oh. Brill.'

We both headed over, Dani sticking her hand out to shake as we approached. 'I'm Danielle Fiama, and this is Anna Hallisson.' She said with her voice overly formal.

The boy shook her hand. He was more than a head taller than both of us, with brown hair sticking out from a red, and rather dorky, hat. He was on the lanky side, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt, tanned arms covered with freckles. 'I'm Lucas. I'm Professor Rowan's aide. How was your flight?' He asked, sounding rather formal himself.

At that moment, my new Pokémon poked its head out from the neck of my jumper to get a look at him. Lucas turned his attention to it instead.

'Nice Riolu. May I?' He asked, reaching out to stroke its head.

'Uh, go for it.' I lifted up the bottom of my jumper to fish the Pokémon free, and hand it to Lucas. It gave an indignant chirp but only seemed to struggle half heartedly, especially when he started to stroke its belly. 'So it's a…Ry-oo-loo, did you say?' I prompted, hoping I said it right.

'Yep, he is.' Lucas nodded, gently taking Riolu's arm to examine the back of his wrists.

'So, it's a boy then?' I absolutely hated how completely clueless I sounded, even if I was completely clueless. I didn't much enjoy being the one without the answers.

'Yeah, you can tell from how his wrist blades are positioned, see?' He leaned forward so I could see the back of Riolus arms. There were indeed tiny silver lumps there. 'If he was female, these would be slightly further forward.'

'Oh.' The urge to try and explain I wasn't a moron gave out. 'See, my sister gave it to me, and it only just hatched so I had no idea what it was and I've never seen one before now.'

Lucas gave a smile that was ever so slightly patronising. 'Well, there's not much data available on them anyway. They're native to Sinnoh, and even then they're rare. You guys ready to head back to the lab?' He asked as he handed Riolu back to me. I held him to my chest, my arms under his legs so his tail could whip around freely.

'Ready when you are.' Dani shrugged, and we followed him out.

---

_Crack, crack._

'Eugene has told me good things about you.'

'We just hope we can live up to your expectations, sir.'

_Crinkle, crack._

'I hope so too. My research is very important to me.'

_Crack, crinkle, crack._

Xavier, now with a definite gender and name, was sitting on the table with Cadogan, Sorrel and Lucas' own Pokémon, a Chimchar named Jimmy. It was a funny monkey thing, with a squat body, long limbs and a smoking fire on his backside. Between them, they had a bowl of still shelled peanuts which they were having a ball over opening and eating.

Dani, Lucas and I all sat around the table, each nursing cups of tea while Professor Rowan paced up and down the room, filling us in on what we were to do.

He was a commanding man, with bushy hair, mutton chop sideburns and a big bushy moustache. He reminded me a little of how I picture Phileas Fogg from "Around the World in 80 Days."

'As both of you should know, I specialise in Pokémon evolution.' He said, his voice gruff and deep. 'Your job would be to capture Pokémon from around the region, training them up and discovering the secrets behind how they evolve.'

I nodded, not wanting to interrupt in fear of insulting him. He seemed happy to continue talking on his own as he went on to explain his speciality in Sinnoh Pokémon, and how they were different from Pokémon from other regions.

Dani, who had been thrilled at the prospect of meeting Rowan, had managed to plaster on a look of fake interest which I would have found convincing had we not been best friends for three years. Lucas had obviously heard all this before, and looked as though he was itching to examine Cadogan and Sorrel. Perhaps Pidgeys and Magbys weren't so common here.

'And of course, given that you will be working for me, I am more than happy to provide you with your gear for your journey, and a little money to start you off. Of course, once you begin battling, you'll be pulling in your own income which you are free to keep.' He gave us a strange forced grin, and we returned an equally forced smile. He went back into the lab, moving like a man half his age, and came back carrying backpacks.

I saw Danis fake smile flicker every so slightly. We already had our own backpacks, and these new ones looked like they were stuffed to the brim.

'You'll be staying at the Pokémon centre, most trainers do.' He said as he dumped them unceremoniously on the table, causing the Pokémon to jump. 'Your Pokédex is the most important tool you have. It's in the front pocket.' He gestured, in case we didn't know what a 'front pocket' was. 'It also contains your license. Eugene filled in all the information you needed.'

'Oh. Yay.' I said, painfully aware that I sounded like a moron. I couldn't think of any other answer.

'Well.' Professor Rowan clapped his hands together. 'That should be about it. Come Lucas, we have things to do down at Lake Verity.' Without another word, he strode out of the lab.

Lucas immediately scrambled to his feet, gathering up Jimmy in his arms. The Chimchar dropped his peanut, and gave an indignant wail as Cadogan snapped it up.

'It was nice meeting both of you!' He said hurriedly, before chasing after the Professor.

Dani and I stared after them for a moment, before turning to each other.

'Weird.'

---

We'd had a good time going through the packs we were given and our own backpacks, tossing up what we would and wouldn't take with us. We even rang the lab to see if Professor Rowan wanted the excess stuff back, but were told by an aide we'd be better off selling off anything useless.

'See, I think he was probably just bitter.' I muttered as we headed out of town. 'We probably shouldn't have sold that stuff.'

'No worries mate. It'll be fine.' Dani soothed, clapping a hand on my shoulder. 'If he gets mad, we can reimburse him once we get our ridiculous amount of trainer dosh going.' She grinned.

I tried not to think about it too much and kept an eye on the path. It had turned from a scabby side walk, to road, before turning into a beaten path. And not a very well kept one at that. According to the map, this was Route 202 to Jubilife City.

I had been analysing the map, and it was one of the more straightforward routes in Sinnoh. A lot of the paths seem to twist and turn, especially the ones around Mt. Coronet. I was not looking forward to having to cross through there. Maybe we'd be better off taking a plane over.

Conversation wore thin quickly. The subject of "This is pretty neat." had been done to death. We walked in silence, sometimes voicing the odd thought that needed to be heard.

'Is mozzarella the gross cheese?' Dani asked while taking a large step over a tree branch.

I thought about this, nearly tripping over the branch myself. 'I think you're thinking of parmesan.'

'I totally thought it was the other one.' She paused. 'I could go – '

I stopped in my tracks. 'Shh!'

'What?'

'Shh!' I hissed again. There was a series of shrill tweeting noises, coming from somewhere on our left. I clasped Danis hand and started to step carefully through the trees.

Any Pokémon we had seen so far had taken off when we got too close, so we were being ultra careful. We were rewarded by the sight of a small clearing, filled with birds about a foot tall. There were mostly grey, with white patches on the faces and tails. They were crowing and tweeting and carrying on enough to not have even noticed us.

'What are they?' Dani whispered.

'Don't know. Think we should catch some?' I hissed back. I was worried. There were at least thirty of the things, and they had the advantage of numbers. If they all decided to attack us at once, we were boned.

Dani seemed to be thinking along the same lines. 'We need to separate some first.' She paused. 'You think Xavier and Cadogan can do it?'

I pictured her overweight Magby trying to chase down a flock of birds and nearly giggled. 'Yep.'

'Okay.' She pulled the red Pokéball from a chain around her neck. I unclipped two from my belt.

'Let's do this.' I would have loved to ditch the Pokéballs with dramatic flourish, but it wasn't exactly practical in this scenario. I was actually quite disappointed. Instead, we tapped them on the ground.

They weren't exactly the toughest team of the century. Cadogan was a little overweight himself, with shiny feathers and a bit of a pompous look about him. Xavier was bigger than the birds out there, but skinny enough to take a beating if those things were determined. Sorrel was already sitting down, wiping embers from her nose and looking sorry for herself.

'Okay guys, this is the real thing.' I whispered, not even sure if they could understand me at all. I pointed to the flock of birds. 'You run in.' I mimed running. 'Grab two.' I held up two fingers. 'Then wait for more commands.' I hesitated. Cadogan could follow battle orders from classes at school, but I'm not sure if he understood whole sentences. He cocked his head at me and focused with beady eyes. Xavier however, gave a resolute nod. Sorrel glanced at him before nodding too.

'I liked your mime.' Dani hissed.

I grimaced, trying to smile but burning with worry. I could see this going wrong in a million different ways.

'Okay, go!' Dani shouted. A lot of the birds jumped, completely startled. Our Pokémon took off from our cover of bushes and went for some of the birds near the edge. They started to take off.

'Don't let them get away!' I snapped, scrambling out of the bushes myself and running over to help. Cadogan had managed to engage one of the birds in a scuffle, while Xavier was after the ones running away. Every few feet he would make an astounding leap and try to grab one around the legs.

Most of the flock had fled, but a few others had stuck around to fight. I glanced over to see a few others having a go at Cadogan. One slammed into his side, another pecked at his front, while a third practically vanished before throwing him several feet back.

'Oi!' I shouted, starting toward Cadogan. The small birds turned, took one look at me before deciding I wasn't worth it and took off. Cadogan gave an indignant caw after them, ruffling his feathers and taking off too.

'No! Cadogan! Come!' I snapped. He hovered for a moment, before returning and perching on my outstretched arm though looking indignant.

A few metres away, Dani and Sorrel had managed to corner one of the birds who now stuck around to fight.

'C'mon Sorrel, ember!' Dani ordered. Sorrel took a deep breath, her tail wagging like crazy.

WHOOSH!

A huge tongue of flame came spiralling out of the Magby, more than I ever thought she could have. It completely engulfed the tiny bird, which gave a loud shrieking sound. As soon as the spirals of fire came away, revealing the tiny bird now with its feathers blackened, Dani tossed a free Pokéball.

It hit.

It bounced

It opened with a 'CRACK' and sucked the bird inside.

It closed.

It bounced.

It shook.

It pinged.

'Whoo!' Dani shouted, throwing her arms in the air. 'Yay me! I am the best thing ever!' She stopped to scoop Sorrel out of the dirt. 'No, **you're** the best thing ever! Aw! I love you so much!'

I looked around for Xavier. He was trudging back, head hanging low. I felt sad just looking at him. I stepped forward to pick him up with my free arm.

'You did well.' I said, kissing him in-between the ears.

---

Dani was thrilled with her victory over her new Pokémon. She recounted the entire battle to me, second by second as she sprayed the tiny bird with healing potions after we made camp.

I listened avidly, congratulating her, but was still smarting a little. Arrogant as it was, I had thought I was going to catch the first wild Pokémon, because I was better than her in classes. It didn't seem fair.

I focused on the positives as we made our dinner at our little camp. Xavier and I sat by the fire, stirring a beautiful cheese filled pasta dish in a thick sauce. Mum had discovered you could get packets and packets of this stuff; just add water for a ridiculously high kilojoule meal. I had never made it before, and it smelled fantastic.

I patted Xavier with one hand while I stirred with the other. The event of the day had him near sleep against my leg. Dani was sitting on the other side of the fire, winning over her new found Pokémon, now named Ash, with treats from my bag. Cadogan had chosen to hang out there too, getting the odd treat. Sorrel watched with interest from inside the fire.

I leaned back, trying not to disturb Xavier, to grab my backpack. I fished the Pokédex out of the front pocket.

I flipped open the little red computer. It had two screens, a top and a bottom one, and an array of buttons next to the lower screen. It was completely different to the Pokédex my sister had gotten when she started her journey, barring the red colour and Pokéball symbol emblazoned on the top.

I hadn't really checked it out fully yet. I put Xavier on stirring duty while I messed around with it. After a few minutes, I figured out how to make it scan new Pokémon through the tiny window at the top.

'_Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon.' _ The Pokédex trilled in a mechanical voice that made Xavier jump. _'Its body is lithe and powerful. Riolus have been known to crest three mountains and two canyons in a single night. It can use a power known as 'auras' in order to let others around it know its strong emotions.'_

'Huh. Neat.' I muttered to myself. There was more information, average size, average weight, habitats…though I wondered what it meant by 'aura.' When I had picked Xavier up earlier, I had noticed a flicker of blue around him but thought nothing of it. I wondered if maybe I had imagined it, maybe editing it into my memory now that I knew this.

'Oooh, ooh, do Ash!' Dani asked, pointing to her feathered friend which was now cautiously sitting on her knee.

I pointed my Pokédex at her knee. I had to wave it around a bit before it picked anything up.

'_Starly, the Starling Pokémon.'_

'That's original.' I snorted.

'Shh! I'm listening.'

'_Starly usually flock in large numbers and are very evasive when alone. Though small, most of their energy is diverted to their wings, making them quite powerful. Its cries are very strident.'_

'Cooooool.' Dani breathed.

I spent the rest of the night messing around with my Pokédex and reading up on wild Pokémon native to this area. I wanted to be prepared next time, maybe so I could plan better strategies if we came across another wild Pokémon. Knowledge is power, after all.

I crawled into my sleeping bag with Xavier tucked under my arm and Cadogan roosting in the trees with Ash, Sorrel snoozing the dying embers of our fire and Dani barely arms width away.

This was my first night away from home.

It wasn't so bad.

---

_A/N: Chapter Two! And STILL nothing's happening. Plots will happen eventually, just not now. I prefer to establish things thoroughly before hand, it's a personal thing. I know it's dull sometimes, but bear with me._

_And man, how dodgy is the formatting here? Chapter One has been edited so that you may now see Scene Changes relatively free of charge. I also never realised how hard it is to come up with a non-crappy title, so expect that to change a few more times._

_As usual, reviews, suggestions and pointing out of mistakes are tops. Dagzar has now put it in my head that romance may be awesome. I've never written any romance before so that'll be a whole new frontier for me. Let me know what you think. Thanks for your time._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

'Okay, so, Jubilife, according to Lucas, should be two days walk, right?' Dani asked, rather brashly and rustling the map in front of her to try and keep it upright.

'Uh-huh.' I muttered, rubbing my neck. My back, mostly my neck, ached from sleeping on the ground and my legs were sore from walking. I felt awful.

'Looks like its pretty close compared to some of the other towns. Yeesh. It'll take us a million years to get to Snowpoint city. Maybe we should fly to that one.' She murmured, more to herself than anything. She had dark circles under her eyes, suggesting she hadn't slept much better than I had. 'Hey, have you given any more thought to whether or not we should battle gyms?'

I thought for a moment. Our main aim was to collect data for Professor Rowan, but he had explained that we were more than welcome to challenge gyms and Pokémon contests if we so desired. 'I might wait 'til the first gym we come to and then give it a shot, see if I like it.'

'I think I will.' Dani nodded. 'The trainers who came into our gym always had kick ass Pokémon. Like this one girl, well, woman, she would have been like twenty. She had this Pokémon which was kind of like…' She hesitated to try and describe it. 'Kind of like a Yanma, but it was a ground type. Had big green wings and made a bloody racket.'

I thought for a moment. 'Vibrava.'

'What?'

'The Pokémon. It would have been a Vibrava. They're from Hoenn, it's a Ground and Dragon type.' I said it plainly, but inside I felt incredibly smug. When I could, I loved showing off. And considering I was pretty much hopeless at sports, I mostly got my kicks with trivia.

'Smart arse.'

Though there was no real malice in her comment, I felt a little stung.

---

'What in Mew's name are you doing to yourself?'

It had taken most of the day to reach Jubilife, plus another hour on top of that of walking the grey but brightly lit streets before calling a taxi to take us to the Pokémon Centre. Word of mouth told us that most Pokémon Centres allowed trainers to stay for free, but not about the living arrangements. Let me just say: you got what you paid for. I had assumed that there would be individual rooms, not the dormitories I soon discovered, with small windows and beds that curved outwards. One of which Dani collapsed onto with a groan.

She dumped her shopping bags on the floor between our small sleeping arrangements and pushed back her hair. Every now and then, I was jealous of her long, black hair. Now was not one of those times. It looked like she hadn't even bothered to wash it before going out.

'Where'd you get that from?' I asked, gesturing to her denim mini skirt.

'I brought it with me.' Dani shrugged, fiddling with her hair again. It really _was_ greasy. She had been anxious to go shopping since we got into the city; despite that it was already getting dark. She had showered quickly and was off before I finished my own shower. 'I was worried I wouldn't get a chance to wear it.'

I stared at her for a moment. 'We only had to bring essentials, dude.'

'It is essential. How many skirts fit me this well?' She asked, raising her pelvis and giving the hem a tug. She lay back on her bed, arms behind her head. 'So, what's that set up for anyway?' She nodded at the array of equipment I had before me.

I was sitting cross legged on my own bed, back against the head board and one foot supported on my knee. A safety pin, a lighter, cotton balls, bandaids and a bottle of methylated spirits lay on the bed in front of me. 'Blisters.' I shrugged.

Dani made a face. 'You know, you _are_ supposed to let them burst on their own.'

I jammed the safety pin into one of the giant blisters my boots had given me, this one on the ball of my foot. Dani cringed. 'Takes too long.' I shrugged.

She wrinkled her nose at me. 'That is so gross.'

'I'm almost finished.' I muttered, soaking a cotton swab in spirits. 'So, what'd you buy?' I asked, desperate to make her stop staring at me like I had announced I kept old snotty tissues in a bag by my bed.

Dani sat back up again and started unloading shopping bags, going through the details of every item as she folded them on her bed. I was slightly irritated to see it was mostly clothes.

'How exactly are you going to fit all of that in your pack?' I asked, a little scornfully as she finished informing me of her new jeans that fit like a dream and were on sale.

She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. 'Are you mad at me or something?' She said after consideration.

'No.'

'You sound a little bitchy.'

I thought about this. I was pretty exhausted from two days containing more exercise than I usually did in a week, and did feel a bit crummy. 'I don't think I do.'

'Well, you do.'

'Sorry.'

Dani focused back on her new clothes. 'S'okay.' She shrugged, sounding overly casual but deliberately not looking at me. She opened another of her shopping bags and grabbed a glossy magazine, which she then offered to me. 'I got this for you. Thought you might like it.'

Large letters on the front spelled out _Pokémon Handbook, _partially obscured by a picture of a young blonde woman who was celebrating her third year of being League Champion.

'Neat.' I took it and flipped through it. 'Ta.'

Dani began going through her things, figuring out how she was going to go about packing all her new stuff in her already bursting backpack before we left for Oreburgh in the morning. I settled down with my magazine. It was similar to _The Pokémon Journal_ we had at home, with more focus on advice from trainers. I was absolutely engrossed in it, drinking up every word.

I had started on an article about Hiromi Matsumoto and his incredible Fighting Pokémon when the magazine was snatched out of my hands. I jumped, startled that some kid had managed to approach my bed and invade my personal space without me noticing.

'Whatcha reading?' He asked, flipping through the pages. He was definitely younger than me, kind of weedy looking with a head too big for the rest of his body. He had peeling sunburn on his nose and cheeks, beneath little brown eyes that made me think of Raticates from back home.

I stared at him momentarily, not quite processing what had just happened. The rudeness bothered me, and I felt a little silly for having my things snatched by someone who looked prepubescent. 'That was rude.' I said finally. 'Give it back.'

'You'd be a Pokémon trainer, yeah?' He asked, flipping through the magazine some more.

'Yes. I would like my magazine back now.' I replied steadily, holding out my hand for it.

'Um, no. I'm reading it.' He replied snidely, sitting down on a small pile of Dani's folded jeans. She had obviously been listening in, but hadn't been expecting this.

'Gerroff, brat.' She said, completely deadpan while grabbing him by the scruff of the neck to push him off her bed. He seemed a little stunned that someone had dared touch him, and I took the opportunity to snatch my magazine back.

'Hey!' He snapped, standing beside my bed and looking peeved. 'I was going to read that!'

'I was already reading it.' I replied, admittedly feeling a little smug. Who cares if he was years younger than me? A win's a win.

'Yeah, but…' He trailed off, before suddenly looking pleased. 'Y'know what?' He stuck a finger in my face. 'My name is Daniel, and I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!'

I shrank back a little. This all seemed faintly ridiculous. I glanced at Dani. She shrugged.

I thought about it some more. 'Yeah, might as well. Let me grab my Pokémon from the nurses.' I put my magazine down and got off my bed, slipping my shoes back over my bandaid covered feet. The boy, now known to be Daniel, folded his arms and watched me impatiently.

'Meet me outside!' He announced after a few seconds, before striding out of the dorm and around the corner.

'Well.' Dani sat down on her own bed as I laced up my shoes. 'That was weird.'

'There is nought as queer as folk. Hope I don't lose.' I got to my feet and headed for the door.

'Yeah, it'd be pretty embarrassing. Kid's a total brat.' She grinned, following me out.

With the assurance that Xavier and Cadogan were in tip top shape from the nurses, I gathered them and took them with my outside, Dani trailing a few steps behind.

The Pokémon Centre here was much more impressive than the one back in Pewter. It was a large building, made up with big grey bricks and marked everywhere with large windows. The top of the building was covered with a large metal representation of a Pokéball, indented with a sign that read "Jubilife City Pokémon Centre." Before the building was an expanse of pavement that met up with the road, with small parts of soil exposed which allowed the growth of several rose bushes. A fountain took pride of place in the centre, with the three branches of the Chansey family posed in the centre. Water spouted from the mouth of the Happiny, the hair of the Chansey and the hands of the Blissey. I had taken photos to send to Mum when we had first arrived. I made a mental note to get a new camera once I had the money, rather than using the crappy disposable one I had bought in Sandgem.

Daniel sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the gleam of the coins in the fountain from the streetlamps that lit the area. When we came through the automated doors, he sprang to his feet. 'Took you long enough!'

I raised an eyebrow, but decided against saying anything. 'Shall we?' I asked, pulling one of my Pokéballs from my pocket. Dani took a seat on the pavement near the rosebushes to watch.

Daniel pulled a Pokéball from his own pocket and tossed it on the ground. It snapped open, revealing a small, light blue Pokémon with large pointy ears. Small spikes adorned her back and forehead, and whiskers stuck out from her cheeks. It brayed at me, showing large, pointed front teeth.

'Ha. Nidoran. Cute.' I smiled. I had been raised to see Nidoran as pests, but I had always had a certain fondness for them, especially the females. 'Okay…' I enlarged Xavier's Pokéball and tossed it into the air. 'Go Xavier!'

The Riolu appeared from the Pokéball, crouched low with all black paws on the ground. He straightened up, waving his tail excitedly. Nidoran brayed at him instead, ears twitching.

'Scratch attack, Nidoran!' Daniel ordered. Nidoran leapt excitedly and vaulted herself at Xavier. I felt a pang of worry. Xavier hadn't been able to pin down a Starly; how was he going to go against a Pokémon that had been trained to battle?

I pushed the thought away. It wasn't the time. 'Quick Attack!'

Xavier launched forward as well. He was practically a blue blur as they ran at each other, before he dodged to one side and struck Nidoran in the side with his shoulder. She toppled, still going forward from the momentum but also being thrown to one side. She straightened as soon as she good, digging her tiny claws into the pavement. She squealed and ran at Xavier again. He stood firm, paws clenched into fists.

'Try to Tackle it!' Daniel shouted.

'Quick Attack again!' I commanded.

Nidoran didn't miss a beat. Xavier moved slightly to one side and ran at her as well. But this time, she knew what was coming. Once Xavier was close enough, she veered suddenly towards him, turning her body just as he made his shot at her. They collided with a muffled slapping noise and rebounded in opposite directions. Nidoran rolled until she hit the edge of the fountain, while Xavier was thrown into a rosebush.

Nidoran got to her paws again, looking slightly unsteady. Xavier was still for a moment, before freeing himself from the brambles and standing up straight again. Blood leaked from several cuts on his chest, as well as several on his tail from the rosebush, staining his blue fur purple. I cringed.

Daniel grinned. 'Scratch it!'

'Xavier! Um…' I hesitated. He turned to face me. My mind had gone blank. 'Um…'

Nidoran ran at him, making snarling noises with her teeth bared.

'Umm…Counter?' I offered finally.

Nidoran struck, throwing him back into the rosebushes. She put her entire body weight behind it as she brought her claws raking down his chest. Once she had hit, she sprang back and watched him, tangled in the brambles, with quiet interest as though he was nothing more than an interesting show on television.

For a moment there was nothing. Xavier slowly freed himself from the roses. He stood for the briefest second, emanating a red glow and then vaulting forward with incredible speed.

Nidoran cried out as he made contact. She was thrown backwards and into the air, landing in the fountain with a splash.

'Nidoran!' Daniel shouted, running for the fountain. Xavier stood still, looking as though he hadn't moved at all. He was hunched over; small drops of blood splattering on the pavement. I ran to him, crouching beside him and putting a hand on his back. He straightened up, tail wagging. He looked at me, little red eyes filled with pride. There was no pain there. It was like he hadn't even noticed the wounds across his chest. I felt so proud I could burst.

I picked him up and cuddled him, holding his head against my collar bone. He winced briefly, squeezing his eyes shut.

'You did amazing.' I whispered, before sucking him back into his Pokéball. He gave me one last look of pride before he was zapped away.

I looked up to see Daniel returning his Nidoran as well. He stood up. He looked angry. He tucked his Pokéball back into the pocket of his baggy shorts and pulled free another one.

'Go Bidoof!' He called, throwing the Pokéball. The creature that materialised there had me clapping my hand over my mouth to keep from giggling. It was absolutely adorable, with a brown fat body and a puffy tail. It also had quite a puffy face, with tiny ears and big buck teeth. It had short little legs and gave off the intention of just wanting to be squeezed in a hug.

I swapped glances with Dani, who grinned. 'That's a mighty nice Pokémon you have there.' I nodded at Daniel, still resisting the urge to laugh.

'Sure do. So what are _you_ going to use?' He sneered back, seemingly oblivious to my sarcasm.

I grinned, fishing out my only other Pokéball. 'Go Cadogan!'

Cadogan emerged with a loud screech, flapping his wings and spinning in the air. He had always been one for showmanship back in classroom battles. It made me smile. If Xavier, not even a week old, could take on one of this kid's Pokémon, Cadogan could wipe this one out in seconds. A surge of arrogance swelled up in my chest. I liked it.

'Bidoof, tackle!' Daniel cried. Bidoof ran at Cadogan, who flapped his wings to remain about a foot above the ground. I was quite surprised at how much speed the little thing could get up.

'Gust!' I ordered.

Cadogan whipped up winds that should have knocked the Bidoof flat on its back. Instead, it only seemed to slow down the bulbous creature, which still managed to jump and smack into my Pidgey with enough force to send him tumbling through the air, only righting himself in time to keep from hitting the pavement.

This Pokémon was full of surprises. 'Tackle!' I called. Cadogan shook his head before flapping his wings and shooting towards Bidoof at top speed.

Daniel sneered. 'Rollout!'

'Wait, what?' I said out loud before I could stop myself. Bidoof leapt, tucked itself in a ball and rolled across the pavement towards Cadogan, who charged right at him. 'Cadogan! Sto – '

It came too late. Though Cadogan was only slightly smaller than Bidoof, its weight easily trumped his. And with the added strength of Rollout, he had no chance. Cadogan was rebounded back, this time unable to catch himself before smacking into the pavement. Feathers tore lose and scattered as Bidoof kept accelerating, hitting him again as Cadogan attempted to get airborne. This time, he was thrown back even further, almost to the Pokémon Centre doors.

I wasn't sure what to do. Bidoof was evidentially heavier and stronger than Cadogan was, and Xavier was in no condition to battle again. I weighed up my options while watching Bidoof, still tucked tightly into a ball, turned and headed for Cadogan who seemed to be dazed.

'Wait!'

Daniel looked at me.

'Call it a draw?'

---

_A/N: I want you to guess how many times I've rewritten this chapter._

_Go on, guess._

_I have rewritten this chapter four times, and I'm still not overly thrilled with it. Hence the lack of update, as I've been pretty reluctant to post this._

_Oh well. Figured I better post it and be done with it. However, I was pretty pleased to more properly explore my characters faults. Anna is a smart arse, a show off and is pretty gross sometimes. Dani is impatient, blunt and is a sucker to her vices._

_As always, reviews are welcome. Thankyou for your time._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four.**

Cadogan had taken the loss hard. As we travelled to Oreburgh, he would pick fights with every Pokémon we found, chasing them down until they battled out of sheer desperation to make him leave. In battles against trainers, he would sometimes refuse to be returned when I wanted him to, choosing to stay and fight until he was near unconscious. This wasn't too much of an issue, as most of the trainers we came across were kids barely into their teens, their Pokémon still weak and disobedient. When he wasn't battling, h chose to sulk, perching in branches just out of my reach and ignoring me when I tried to coax him down. I felt like I had failed him somehow.

Xavier trained hard too, boosted with confidence from winning against Nidoran. He practically glowed with pride after each won battle, bursting with energy in-between. He would clamber up trees and chirp excitedly with other Pokémon, seemingly thrilled with life and all it brought. I made a mental note to gush to Olga about how great he was next chance I had.

I had also caught my first Pokémon. While Xavier and Cadogan were brilliant, there was an unexpected thrill with catching my own. It was a Sinnoh native Pokémon known as Shinx, a feline looking blue Pokémon with black hindquarters, though her back feet were blue. The inside of her ears were yellow, as were her eyes. She had yellow bands around her forelegs and a black tail with a tuft of yellow at the end. She was slightly smaller than the Pokédex said she should be, but I couldn't have been happier with her if she was one of the Legendary Dogs themselves. After many treats and back scratching, she had warmed considerably to me. Sometimes, as I sat with her in my lap at the end of the day, she would try to suck my fingers, drooling everywhere and kneading her paws into my lap. She was a funny one. I had named her Javotte.

Though I was outdone by Dani. She had captured two Pokémon, the first from a species called Buizel, a streamlined orange mammal with two tails, blue fins and a yellow collar around his neck he seemed to be able to inflate at will. The second was a water and ground type, Shellos, a pink Pokémon with a white underbelly and various squishy spikes on his back, as well as spongy bits on his head. It made me think of something that would be more at home somewhere in deep sea. I was a little jealous that Dani had managed to catch more Pokémon than me, and was ever so slightly smug when she had trouble getting her newest to listen to her.

'I don't think it's coming off the wall, mate.' I told her. We both stood in the Oreburgh Pokémon Centre, staring at one of the antiseptic white walls where Coral, Dani's Shellos, was sticking to the join in the ceiling. After a hard two week journey, I desperately just wanted to go to bed instead of being out here with her crabby Pokémon.

'Sure he will!' Dani went back to where the rest of our Pokémon sat, eating the food we had given them and watching with interest between bites. She fished some food out of Sorrel's bowl, came back beside me and held it above her head. 'C'mon little buddy! Down you come! You must be hungry, aren't you?'

He hesitated for a moment, considering it. After a few seconds, he spat a mouthful of mud at us. I shrieked and threw myself backward, toppling over while Dani flattened herself against the wall to dodge it.

'I propose we throw stuff at it until it comes down.' I snorted, getting to my feet and rubbing my now sore tailbone. I was thankful that the Pokémon centre was devoid of trainers, but I still felt rather embarrassed.

'It's not his fault Anna. He's not used to being owned.' Dani said patiently, grabbing her bag and pulling out a towel.

'Neither are Javotte and Titian, but they're fine.' I pointed out, gesturing to where my Shinx and Dani's new Buizel were happily sharing their food with the others.

'That's different. They're both pretty young, I think.' Dani began to mop up the mess. 'Not to mention that some Pokémon actually _want_ to be trained. They're just as different as people.'

I folded my arms and leaned on the back of the couch, staring up at Coral. He stared right back, practically daring me to throw something.

'Well, what should we do then?' I asked, feeling annoyed.

'I don't know.' Dani sighed and balled up the towel, now thoroughly soaked in mud. 'Just gotta keep trying, I guess.' She sounded a little disheartened, but went back to trying to coax Coral down with food.

I collapsed back on one of the plush pink couches that were scattered around the Pokémon centre, near where our Pokémon ate. I splayed my arms over the back of the couch and gave Javotte a nudge with my boot. She glanced over, made a mewling sound, and continued eating.

I smiled at our ragtag group. Cadogan, the spoiled and strong Pidgey, had already finished his food and was now grooming himself, more cheerful than I had seen him in weeks. Xavier, the loyal Riolu, was keeping his bowl close to Javotte, and offering her a pawful of his food every now and then. Javotte, the runty Shinx, was accepting it, crouched down over her own food with her shoulder blades up and her tail wagging.

Then there were Dani's Pokémon. Sorrel, an adorable and powerful Magby, sat on her bottom, eating slowly and thoughtfully with her claws and still smearing bits of meat and grain over her yellow snout. Ash, the jittery Starly, would peck at his food, bounce around the bowl twice, and then continue eating. Titian, the Buizel and newest addition to the gang, would occasionally steal a morsel from his brethren, only to hand it back with an almost human giggle.

They were all different, just as humans were. They had their own personalities and lives long before we ever showed up. You always forget that people and Pokémon existed before you ever knew them; that they had their own relationships with the universe before they even knew you existed.

As soon as Javotte finished eating, I picked her up around the ribs and brought her into my lap, stroking her fuzzy blue head. She mewled and collapsed, one paw dangling over my thigh and purring loudly as I tried to smooth down the mussed up fur on her head. Xavier saw this and bolted down his food to lie at my side, his head on my stomach. Cadogan hesitated visibly before flapping his wings, taking to the air only briefly before landing onto my shoulder. I reached up to scratch the back of his head as he nipped my ear affectionately.

I couldn't have been happier.

---

'You've got to be joking!' Dani burst out, smacking the glass door with her palm. She regretted it immediately, whimpering and pulling her hand back.

'It's okay, dude.' I said, patting her on the back. 'I'm sure they'll be open tomorrow. It's not a big deal.'

Dani had been in a foul mood all morning. She had stayed up half the night trying to get Coral to warm up to her, failed miserably and had to return him. The lack of sleep and frustration with his unhelpful attitude had made her a menace to be with. The Gym being closed was the last straw.

'Yeah, but I wanted to battle the leader today!' She snapped. 'I am so sick of this crap; shouldn't they be open all the damn time? What _else_ have Gym Leaders got to do?'

I shrugged, not wanting to incur any more of her shouting. 'Look, what say we head to the museum and then get some kind of awesome lunch? There must be loads to do here. We'll just do it now rather than later.'

Truth be told, I was just itching to check out the museum. I was a big science nerd, and this sort of thing was right up my alley.

Dani frowned and cast a final annoyed glance at the Gym. 'Fine.' She sighed, visibly deflating. 'Can we stop at the shops on the way though? I want to see if I can get anything nice for Coral.'

'Yeah, okay. Our battle winnings are burning a hole in my pocket.' I grinned. I was still extremely smug about winning battles, even if they were against preteens with not a win to their names.

I could not be trusted with money. At the Pokémon mart, I had gone a little overboard with buying new things. I had bought an adorable yellow collar for Javotte, a ribbon with a bell made of shells attached for Cadogan and, unable to find anything Xavier would like to wear, a giant bag of peanuts still in their shells. I had also gotten around to purchasing a belt I could clip my Pokéballs to rather than fiddling with them in my pockets.

'Yeesh, how much did that cost you?' Dani asked as I released Cadogan to put on his present once I had already put on my new belt.

'A pretty penny.' I admitted, grinning all the same. I kneeled beside him on the sidewalk, where he stood stock still while I tied the ribbon. 'Shop keeper said it would make him heal faster in battles. You can only get the right shells somewhere in Johto apparently.' I could almost hear her roll her eyes, even though her back was turned. 'You get anything for you and yours?'

'Yeah. Got this.' She fished around in her pocket, bringing out a gold bell on a red and white ribbon. 'It makes Pokémon more friendly, apparently.'

'Oh. Neat.' I nodded, getting up again. Cadogan flapped his wings and came to my shoulder, the shell bell making a small tinkling sound as he did so.

I really liked Oreburgh City. While it wasn't as bustling and crazy as Jubilife, it was certainly huge. It had more of a small town feel, with dirt alongside the roads instead of sidewalks and people who actually smiled a lot more. I was especially taken by blue poles they had outside of some of the buildings, which was apparently for tying up ridden Pokémon, like Rapidash or Stantler. It also had a slightly closed in feeling, which I liked. To the east was the huge expanse of mountain known as Mt. Coronet, and to the south was the mine site, complete with a giant factory and huge piles of waste from sorting.

'I could imagine this town being like the Wild West, y'know.' I mused to Dani as we got closer to the museum. 'Gun fights, saloons, that sort of thing.'

Dani thought for a moment. 'The apartment buildings kind of take away from the illusion. For me, anyway.'

I stuck my tongue out at her. I was forced to return Cadogan as we went into the cool, air conditioned museum.

I wasn't disappointed. There were all kinds of samples of different tools they used to use way back when, different samples of rocks and other oddities they had found underground.

'Hey, check it; they can clone Pokémon like they do in Cinnabar.' Dani said, reading an exhibit.

'Really?' I pulled away from 'A History of Mining' to join her.

'Yeah.' Dani nodded as I got closer. The exhibit was large and encased in a glass cabinet that took up nearly the whole wall. Fossils were suspended in place with bits of wire, with small pieces of cardboard describing where it had been found and what it had been, and the results of extracting the DNA to create a new Pokémon. There were also photos taken of Pokémon in large vats, going through all the foetal stages, as well as shots of the Pokémon once they had been released from the vats, 'born' may be the word.

'Hey, they've even done Aerodactyls. Neat.' I breathed, checking out a massive chunk of amber with the picture beside it of the huge flying lizard. 'One of my cousins has one. I'm so jealous.'

'He got lucky, and he's a geologist.' Dani muttered. She had a point. Fossils were rare, though multiple Pokémon could be created from a single fossil. Owning a Pokémon that had been created from a fossil that the trainer themselves had found was quite an honour in the scientific community.

'I so want one. Or like, a Kabutops. Those are my favourite.' I pointed to a dome fossil, with a picture beside it of a crab-like Pokémon. 'Did you know they cut open their prey, drink its fluids but can keep it alive for weeks if they want to?'

Dani wrinkled her nose at me. 'You are so gross. Why would I want to know that?'

I shrugged. 'It's fascinating.' I grinned. 'Did you know some cultures believe that if you stare into a Shedinja, it can suck out your soul, leaving you as a hollow shell with no emotions?'

'La, la, la, la, la, I'm not listening.' Dani sang as she walked away from me.

---

'…And Metagross can travel incredibly fast, then pinning down prey using it's four legs, and taking its time to eat using the mouth on its belly.'

'Seriously, Anna, shhh!'

'It's okay though, most people faint so they don't feel all the pain from being slowly devoured from the torso.' I was on a roll, trotting out the foulest of my Pokémon knowledge.

'That settles it; you are the grossest person I have ever met in my entire life.' Dani said flatly.

'Kricketune! C'mon, keep it up!'

I glanced over in the direction of the factory. Voices and sounds of a battle were coming from down near the mine site. Dani was looking that way too.

'Want to go check it out?' She asked, jerking her thumb that way.

I shrugged. 'Yeah, sure. We still have a few more hours to kill before nightfall.'

We wandered down to the mine site, hands in our pockets. There were railings atop large red girders, on which shiny silver carts empty or full of coal bustled back and forth from the mines and the factory. We had to be careful as the ground became slightly uneven with bits of rock that had been too much effort to move.

Beyond the piles of coal refuse and rock was the opening of the tunnels, sloped downwards and large enough to get in machines. The carts trundled along into the mine without anyone paying the slightest attention to them. Mostly because they were paying attention to the battle just in front of the entrance.

Most of the spectators were wearing grey coveralls and covered in dirt, while there were a few dressed in street clothes. They formed a loose circle around where two Pokémon and their trainers battled.

On one side was a black haired girl around our age, dressed in a plaid skirt and black t-shirt. In front of her was a Pokémon I at least recognised as a bug type, but completely foreign to me. It had long, thin antennas coming from its head with a sharp bend in them about a third of the way up. Its long arms were just as thin, curved into blades at the ends. It had black wings that flicked too fast for the human eye to see, and long growths from where its mouth should be. They looked almost like a comical moustache. Its red body had long yellow lines down the front of it, almost making it resemble some sort of instrument.

The other side was much easier. A lean man with brown hair in similar grey coveralls to the others had a Machop before him. Machops were local to our area back home, and I knew them well. They were short and humanoid, with grey muscular bodies and three yellow ridges sticking up from their heads. This one was sweating all over, and breathing heavily.

'C'mon! Fury Cutter!' The girl shouted. The bug Pokémon ran at the Machop, bringing its knife like arms wide.

The man opposite her seemed quite calm, despite his Pokémon's impaired condition.

I pulled my Pokédex from my pocket and pointed it at the running bug type.

'_Kricketune, the cricket Pokémon,' _ The Pokédex's automated voice said. _'It crosses its knifelike arms in front of its chest when it cries. It can compose its melodies ad-lib, which are thought to signal its emotions. Scientists study – '_

The rest of the Pokédex entry was cut off by a loud cheer from the workers. I looked up to see Machop standing triumphantly over a knocked out Kricketune.

I swore. 'What'd I miss?'

Dani clapped loudly as the girl recalled her Pokémon. 'Revenge attack. A damned good one too.'

'I'd imagine so. I can't believe I didn't see it.' I frowned and snapped the Pokédex shut. The worker stepped forward and clapped his Machop on the shoulder and whispered something. Machop glowed with pride, apparently pleased. It made me smile.

The workers went their separate ways, as did the few others who didn't seem to be employees. Some headed back toward the main part of town, such as the girl with the Kricketune, while others disappeared into the tunnels of the mine.

'Good battle, mate.' I said, choosing to step forward. 'I like your Machop.'

'Ha, thankyou.' The man said, wiping some of the sweat off his Machops face. I had a good look at him. Though he was quite thin, he had a round, friendly face that would have been more at home on a Santa Claus type rather than his wiry frame. He had a long nose that was slightly turned up at the end, and thick dark eyebrows.

'You a trainer?' I asked as Dani came up alongside me.

'Nah, I work here at the mines. Machop helps me work, and battle every now and then in my breaks.' He grinned, and offered a dirty hand. 'Name's Pete. Who're you ladies?'

Being called 'lady' always bothered me, but this guy reminded me enough of an uncle to let it slide. 'I'm Anna, and this is Dani.' I shook his hand. 'We're trainers.'

'Ah, you'd be here to fight Roark then, wouldn't ya?' He asked. He had a strong working-class accent, and made me think of my Dad and his brothers. I felt a slight pang of homesickness.

'Yeah. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?' Dani asked, stepping forward eagerly.

'Good lad, Roark.' Pete said conversationally, scratching his head. 'He trains down in the mines sometimes; you could look for him there. Some of the local trainers mess around down there too; it'd probably do ya good.'

I frowned. 'Isn't that dangerous? Untrained people wandering about a mine site?'

Pete gave a loud laugh. ''Course not, long as you don't mess with the rails.'

'Oh. Well. Thanks.' I said, as Dani grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the mines.

'Good luck, girls.' Pete said as I was dragged away.

'Nice meeting you!' I called back as I rushed to keep step with Dani. 'Man, you really want to find this guy, don't you?'

'Yep.' Dani nodded, grinning like a fool. The inside of the cave had lights strung along its walls, big bare light bulbs a few metres apart. The carts rattled past on their rails, but no one seemed to be around. 'I want to see how I measure up against a gym leader that's not related to me.'

The ground was even more uneven in here than it was outside. I resisted the urge to walk along the railings, even when I stumbled for the fourth time.

'I don't think Roark would want to battle you in here.' I stated as I righted myself.

'Oh, he doesn't have to. I can do that tomorrow.' She replied flippantly. 'This is purely for research.'

'So, did you want to do some training or did you just want – whoa!' I hit the ground, my knees making a loud "thump" sound as they hit the rock floor. I swore again. 'Bloody hell, ow!' I rolled onto my bum to survey the damage. My jeans had been torn at the knee, and I had grazed myself. 'Stings like dickens.' I muttered, rolling my jarred wrists.

Dani took a hold of my arm and heaved me to my feet. 'You okay?'

I dusted myself off. 'Yeah, peaches.'

'Dood.'

Where I had tripped was now a crater with a very annoyed Geodude climbing out of it. We had Geodudes back home; many a kid had a story of wandering too close to Mt. Moon, tripping over and then coming home with a black eye from a disturbed Geodude. They had round, lumpy rock bodies with two long, strong arms coming from each side. Two big black eyes watched us warily from where it stood, or sat, depending on your definition of what something with no legs does.

'Hey, neat. I had no idea these guys lived this far away.' I tugged free one of the Pokéballs clipped to my belt. 'C'mon Xavier!'

The ball opened with a snap, releasing the bolt of energy that took shape as Xavier. The Riolu gave a chirp that could have been a snarl were it a little deeper.

'Dood.' The Geodude didn't hesitate, it vaulted forwards on its hands, smashing its entire body into Xavier. He was thrown backwards, skidding across the rock, but got up as if nothing had happened. Geodude didn't even pause before vaulting itself forward again.

'Endure!' I called out. Xavier crouched down, put his arms over his head and dug in his feet, only being pushed back a little as Geodude smashed against his body.

'Okay, now Counter!' I ordered. This was a neat little strategy that I had gleaned from that _Pokémon Handbook _magazine. Xavier only needed to take a hefty blow and could then deal it back twice as hard. Xavier straightened up and ran at Geodude, striking it with his shoulder. Geodude rolled back from the force and into the tunnel wall.

It wasn't over yet. Geodude shook itself before loosening rocks from the ground with its craggy fingers. It threw them a small way into the air, like a baseball player before the pitch. Its tiny black eyes narrowed as it heaved the rock at Xavier, grabbing another in the very same movement. He leaned to each side and jumped in all directions to dodge, some only missing him by millimetres.

'Let's finish this! Force Palm!' I exclaimed, narrowly avoiding being hit with rocks myself. Xavier ran forward, one arm extended as he ducked and jumped over Geodudes organic missiles. One he reached it, he brought his firm paw in and across Geodudes body, sending it flying.

'Brilliant!' I cheered, grabbing a free Pokéball from my pocket and ditching it at the fallen Geodude. Before it could recuperate, the ball struck, sucked it in, shook twice and went dim.

'Yes!' I cheered, heading over to scoop up my new prize and then scoop up Xavier. 'Great job, little buddy. You could not have been more awesome if you were Mew itself!'

Dani gave polite applause from where she leaned against the wall. 'Good job. I didn't know you wanted a Geodude.'

I shrugged as I set the ball onto my belt. 'Yeah, well, Brock had one so I figured I could at least give it a shot.' I paused as Xavier clambered onto my shoulders and clutched my hair to stay on. 'Hey, you didn't want it did you?'

Dani shook her head, her black hair wiggling in its ponytail. 'No thanks, it's all yours. Though what would you have done if I had said yes?'

'Probably told you get stuffed.' I grinned, shrugging.

We continued through the tunnels as fast as we could. Zubats and Geodudes were everywhere, as were workers who seemed to just continue around them. We stopped to talk to some of the miners, receiving conflicting advice to which way Roark went, much to Dani's chagrin.

'Hey,' I soothed, rubbing her shoulder as we left a worker and his two Machop to his work. 'Even if we don't find Roark, this training has been _excellent._ Did you see Javotte's last Spark attack with that Zubat? And you were saying you wanted to get Titian up a few levels.'

Xavier, who still rode on my shoulder, gave Dani's head a reassuring pat and a few chirping noises as well. For the first time, he was giving off a proper aura like the Pokédex had said he would. There was a soft pink glow about his body and a smile plastered on his muzzle.

'Yeah, I know. Feels like we've been here for ages, but.' She said, staring around the tunnel.

'Yeah, it does a bit.' I agreed.

There was a cracking sound coming through the tunnels. We had gotten used to it be now, as the workers were cracking open rocks every now and then as they dug for coal. That and the rattling from the carts had just become background noise. It took a lesser priority to things like the sounds of Zubats screeching, which made us jump every time.

There didn't seem to be many of them here, and they were weak enough, but it still disconcerted me to know they were around at all. People _died_ from Zubat attacks.

'So, how do you think this Gym battle is going to go?' I asked, mostly to make conversation.

'I think it should go okay. The book said they use Rock types, and I've got Titian and you've got Xavier.' Dani mused. 'All the same, a little training wouldn't go too far astray.'

'I'm not sure how comfortable I feel with only one Pokémon with a type advantage.' I muttered, rubbing Xavier's head with one hand. He chirped. 'Cadogan and Javotte both have a disadvantage with Rock types, and I'm not sure what this Geodude is like.'

'You girls are _still_ down here?' Came a voice from behind us.

We both turned. Behind us was Pete with his Machop beside him, who was holding a shovel bigger than he was, as well as two pick axes and other tools strapped to his back.

'Oh, hello again.' I gave a small wave.

'Yes, still.' Dani nodded.

'Having too much fun here are ya?' Pete asked as he strode past us. 'Did you end up findin' Roark?'

'No. Have you seen him?' Dani asked, moving to keep up step with him.

'Not yet, nah.' Pete said, shaking his head. Xavier jumped from my shoulder to walk alongside Machop, chirping away at him. I paused before following too. 'Tell you what, while you girls are down here, you mind givin' me a bit of a hand? Won't be for nothing, I assure you.'

'Uh,' I glanced over at Dani quickly. She shrugged. 'Okay, I guess so.' I agreed.

'Good. How's this for a deal, I teach your Pokémon a new move.' He glanced down momentarily as Machop gave Xavier a pick axe to hold. 'And in return, you use it to help me get some of the coal out of the rocks. What do you say?'

I thought back to classes where we taught our Pokémon moves they didn't naturally learn. I loved doing it; it was how Cadogan had learned Steel Wing.

'I'm all for it.' I shrugged. 'Dani?'

She thought for a second. 'Yeah, why the heck not?'

---

_A/N: First off, apologies for the last chapter. I'm not going to take it down, because I want it to stand as a monument to "Why I shouldn't upload I don't like even when I can't be bothered rewriting them anymore." Also, sorry for the complete lack of updates. Life has __been insanely hectic; I've either been at work, or sleeping. That's how bad things have gotten._

_The end of this chapter doesn't seem quite right, does it? That's because this actual chapter in its entirety, with its proper beginning and end, was three times longer than this. I've been whittling it down bit by bit so I could put it up without exhausting people, and it's still a bit longer than I feel comfortable putting up in one hit._

_So! Reviews are welcome as always, and I'd particularly like to know what you think of chapter length. Should I make my chapters shorter? Longer? Purple?_

_That said, I wish you a happy holidays and a splendid new year! May they be filled with eating too much and sleeping in!_


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